Report: Nationals, Sipp agree to 1-year deal
The Washington Nationals have agreed to a major-league deal with free-agent left-hander Tony Sipp, reports Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post.
Sipp's deal is for one year and $1 million with a mutual option for 2020 that includes a $250,000 buyout, according to ESPN's Buster Olney.
The veteran southpaw joins a bullpen that has already added Trevor Rosenthal and Kyle Barraclough this offseason.
Nationals' projected bullpen - 2018 stats
| PITCHER | G | IP | ERA | WHIP | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sean Doolittle | 43 | 45 | 1.60 | 0.60 | 60 |
| Trevor Rosenthal | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| Kyle Barraclough | 61 | 55.2 | 4.20 | 1.33 | 60 |
| Tony Sipp | 54 | 38.2 | 1.86 | 1.03 | 42 |
| Justin Miller | 51 | 52.1 | 3.61 | 1.13 | 60 |
| Matt Grace | 56 | 59.2 | 2.87 | 1.14 | 48 |
| Wander Suero | 40 | 47.2 | 3.59 | 1.22 | 47 |
The 35-year-old Sipp spent the past five seasons with the Houston Astros.
In 2018, he allowed 0.2 HR/9, the lowest mark of his career, while his 83.3 LOB percentage was the second-best result of an Astros reliever with at least 30 innings of work.
Over the course of his 10-year career, Sipp owns a 3.67 ERA and has struck out 9.6 hitters per nine innings while pitching for the Astros, Cleveland Indians, and Arizona Diamondbacks.
The Nationals have also been linked to free-agent closer Craig Kimbrel, but are reportedly unwilling to exceed the luxury-tax threshold to acquire him.